1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a logo data generating system, and relates more specifically to a method and a device for generating logo data so that the amount of ink required to print the logo can be determined.
2. Description of the Related Art
By using 256 shades each for red, green, and blue, color graphic processes can generate full-color images from a pallet of more than 16 million different colors for display or printing on widely available computer systems. Full-color printers capable of printing these full-color images are also widely available now. These color printers typically use cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) ink to express the full range of colors by mixing small amounts of different colors of ink.
Printer manufacturers have in the past focused on improving the speed and economy of monochrome (black and white) printers for business applications, but as color graphic technologies have improved full-color printers are also finding use in business applications.
However, while full-color printers offer the advantage of rich color expression, printing takes longer and operating costs are higher. This is a particular problem in business applications such as point-of-sale (POS) terminals where there is a one-on-one relationship between the printer user and the customer to whom printer output is handed because printing must be completed in the shortest possible time. To speed printer output in POS systems, image data for the logo that is printed on every receipt is therefore stored inside the printer so that a print logo command can be simply sent to the printer to read the image from memory, thereby saving the image data transmission time, requiring less time to complete printing, and effectively increasing printer throughput. This method of storing logo image data in the printer is especially important for POS systems that print a color logo because color image files are so large. This logo printing technology is not limited to POS system applications and can be used in any field where the same image is repeatedly printed. For example, this technology can be used in specialty printers such as used in ATMs to print a transaction record at the time of each transaction (such printers are referred to below as transaction printers).
When such transaction printers are used for color printing, it is preferable to limit the number of printable colors to two or three in order to improve both printing economy and speed. The above described logo printing technology and technology for color printing limited to two or three colors will be increasingly important for POS printers in the distribution industry, bank ATM printers, and other types of specialty transaction printers that repeatedly print the same image, including queuing number printers, parking lot ticket printers, and kiosk terminal printers in convenience stores.
Transaction printers typically print predominately text information in black. Therefore, if the printer can only print two colors, the two colors will usually be black and one other color, such as red, green, or blue. It will also be obvious that a two-color printer could print two colors not including black, or one color could be added so that the printer can print with three colors.
It will also be obvious that such a limited-color printer cannot print full-color images or images containing many colors. When the logo image is generated, it is therefore necessary to reduce the full-color image, for example, to the number of colors that the printer can handle. Relatively high design quality and print quality are desirable in logos printed by such transaction printers. Furthermore, when printing is limited to two or three colors, the color reduction process and color assignment can greatly affect the overall impression made. Great care must therefore be used to generate the logo.
The large number of logos printed each day by a typical transaction printer based on this logo data means that the amount of ink required to print the logo greatly affects printer operating costs. It is therefore desirable to be able to know when creating and editing the logo data how much ink will be required to print the logo because the designer could then also consider this ink consumption data to design a logo that is more economical to print. A particularly large amount of ink is required to print a logo containing a background image, for example, and the selection and colors used in the background image are therefore particularly important elements to consider when designing the logo.
Furthermore, if a two or three color printer is used for color printing and a background image covering a large area is printed with the same color, ink consumption may be biased so that one color of ink is consumed more quickly. If one color of ink is consumed more quickly, that ink cartridge will also need replacing more frequently. This increases printer maintenance. It is therefore desirable for the available ink colors to be consumed at substantially equal rates.